Vic woman shot five times 'already dead'

The body of a 33-year-old mother was in three pieces when it was recovered from a mineshaft, a Melbourne murder trial has been told.

Forensic pathologist Linda Isles said Simone Quinlan's head, pelvis and torso were discovered in a mine shaft near Bendigo in 2015 and her remains had been burnt and covered with tape.

Wayne Marmo is on trial in the Victorian Supreme Court for Ms Quinlan's murder, having shot her in the head five times and dumped her body in a mineshaft near Bendigo. He also used petrol to set her body on fire on August 25, 2015.

However, his defence says Ms Quinlan was already dead when Marmo shot her, making him guilty instead of the lesser crime of attempted murder.

He said the person responsible was her violent boyfriend, Brendan Neil.

Pathologists have been unable to determine the exact cause of Ms Quinlan's death.

Dr Isles found there were three potential causes - gunshot wounds to the head, blunt impact to the head, or the blocking of Ms Quinlan's airways as a result of having her nose and mouth taped up.